Exit Planning

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It may seem strange to consider exiting when you're just starting your business and you are preoccupied with assembling a team and getting funded. But planning for and working toward an eventual exit is something every entrepreneur needs to do. Why? Your exit goal affects everything you do, from how you run your business, to the partnerships you pursue, to how you choose to fund your startup.

Dr. Carmody is the former president of Avatar Pharmaceutical Services, a GMP CRO which she founded and led for over 8 years, prior to selling it in 2010. Since then she has held senior level positions in small and large pharma and has strengthened her knowledge of robust quality systems. With each custom-crafted solution she fulfills her vision of connecting everyday quality processes and procedures with the strategic needs of her client's business.

Prior to founding Avatar, Dr. Carmody spent 10 years in the (bio)pharmaceutical industry, developing methods for small molecules and oligonucleotides, managing QC, Analytical, and Validation groups. In addition to this solid grounding in pharmaceuticals, she worked at Waters Corporation's Applied Technology and Marketing groups where she developed novel separations methods with colleagues and (bio)pharmaceutical customers. At Waters, Dr. Carmody brought numerous new technologies to market through published papers and technical presentations both at world-wide conferences and leading (bio)pharmaceutical companies.

Scientific understanding underscores Dr. Carmody’s unique approach to solving the most challenging Quality or Analytical issues. A resume that spans roles in applied technology, marketing, bench chemistry, validation, quality management and several leadership roles provides the basis of Dr. Carmody’s approach to solution building. Her experience leverages the creative integration of technologies from diverse fields and enables these elements to be transformed into client solutions.

Dr. Carmody holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Walter Lunsman Chief Operating Officer at VivoPath/Charles River

Walter led the acquisition of VivoPath by Charles River Laboratories. VivoPath was part of the MBI incubator before their acquisition. They are focused on early drug discovery and in vivo proof-of-concept testing for helping develop new therapeutic treatments.

Walter holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from MIT.

Dr. Norman Garceau is Vice President of Technology and Site Head at LakePharma, Inc. in Worcester, MA and was previously Chief Scientific Officer of Blue Sky BioServices prior to its merger with LakePharma. He is responsible for overseeing science-related activities at the Worcester facility, managing the technology portfolio for LakePharma, and is the company representative for initiatives in New England. He was also a member of the team that spearheaded the merger with LakePharma. Prior to joining Blue Sky, Dr. Garceau was a Senior Research Scientist and team leader at Pfizer Global Research and Development, where he served in a variety of roles in spanning molecular and cellular biology and small molecule drug discovery. He was also was Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at Dartmouth Medical School before joining Pfizer and an employee at Upstate Biotechnology during its startup phase, which is now part of EMD Millipore. Dr. Garceau earned a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Dartmouth Medical School and was a postdoctoral fellow at Pfizer Central Research.